CHICOPEE — Bringing in more jobs will be one of Richard Kos’; priorities if elected to a position he held a decade ago.

Kos on Tuesday kicked off his campaign for mayor by talking about his priorities to an estimated 700 supporters at the Knights of Columbus on Memorial Drive.

“I want to be very clear on this point: In addition to safety, schools, seniors, neighborhoods and our youth, jobs for Chicopee will be one of the most important priorities of my administration,” he said.

Kos, who served as mayor from 1997 to 2004, turned in nomination papers to challenge Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette to the seat in June. Bissonnette, who has been mayor for eight years, announced he is running for re-election.

In his speech Kos, former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, pledged to market aggressively industrial land at the Chicopee River Business Park and the Westover Air Park industrial complexes, support innovation and entrepreneurship especially among small businesses, fight for development grants and make it easier for people to do business in Chicopee.

Currently a lawyer for Egan, Flanagan and Cohen, Kos said he has been asked multiple times to run for mayor and decided he wanted to do the job again.

“The bottom line is I really care about this city, and I think we can do better,” he said.

In a nod to the sometimes vicious politics Chicopee has seen in the past, Kos called for the campaign to about the city’s future and asked for debate to be intelligent and civil.

“I am committed to a positive campaign, not a negative one,” he said. “Let’s make it about ideas. Let’s make it about more jobs, stronger schools and safer neighborhoods.”

In a previous interview, Bissonnette agreed. Both pledged to reach out to voters one on one by knocking on doors and attending community events.

“I hope voters have the opportunity to hear us debate on the issues as there are some clear differences between our records,” Bissonnette said.

Bissonnette said his best campaign will be to continue to be a good mayor, focusing on keeping the city financially stable and working ongoing issues including upgrading the sewer system to meet federal mandates and cleaning up the former Uniroyal factory property and other brownfields using state and federal grants.

“The most important thing is we are tackling the tough problems. The problems no one wanted to take on,” Bissonnette said.

In his speech, Kos spoke against two things Bissonnette has supported, a four-year term for mayor and casinos – even though a proposal for a casino is dead.

Kos revived a former campaign slogan “A Better Chicopee” and talked some about his past record as mayor, reminding supporters he built a library, schools and grew the stabilization fund from essentially nothing to more than $10 million.

“We strengthened the relationship between our public schools and the community they serve. I lead that effort by pursuing legislation which made the mayor a member of the School Committee and its chair. I will continue the effort to involve the community in our schools and the schools in our community,” he said.